The Stiga Pro Carbon table tennis racket offers tournament-level properties with good performance at a reasonable price. This paddle will serve intermediate players and those starting to play competitively.

The sophisticated construction of this bat results in a light weight and good values for both spin and speed, which align well with both an offensive and defensive playing style.

The 7-ply blade features two layers of carbon fibre for improved rigidity and response. The S5 rubber is ITTF approved and delivers the speed and spin thanks to composite technology.

Two millimeters of sponge underneath absorb speed and will improve your return rate even of fast serves. The handle has a concave shape with recesses to provide more sensitivity.

It’s slightly larger than on the average racket, a disadvantage for players with small hands.

A minor disadvantage of the Stiga Pro Carbon ping pong paddle is the lower control value, making it less suitable if you have yet to learn basic ball control.

In summary, I think this is the best table tennis racket for intermediate players with high performance and quality at an affordable price.

If you play recreationally but intend to get serious, the Killerspin Jet600 table tennis paddle is for you. It is accessible to beginners and performs well enough for tournament play.

The manufacturer achieves a low weight with a 6mm 5-ply wood blade that is thinly layered. With Nitrx-4Z 2mm rubber on either side that can be changed when worn-out, the most impressive feature is the spin you’re able to achieve, even on returns.

Hard-hitting and fast serves are no problem so that a balanced or aggressive play will benefit from the Killerspin Jet600 ping pong paddle.

While it comes in a box that makes a nice gift, the ping pong paddle arrives without a protective cover and has no tape to protect the edge of the blade.

It generally handles very well, yet you might notice a strong response if you change your grip on the handle even slightly. This allows for very nuanced play, but you need to have your grip technique developed in order to exert maximum control.

This is the best ping pong paddle but it comes at an intermediate price.

First off, the Sport Game Pro JT-700 ping pong paddle lacks ITTF approval and is not suitable for tournament play due to the yellow off-color.

That being said, this is an entry-level model for beginners and recreational players which can teach you technique and offers aggressive performance at a low-budget price.

The paddle is constructed with a 5-ply pure wood blade and a dovetail handle that is very comfortable with reasonable control. There are 2mm rubbers on top of 2mm sponges to give you speed and spin while absorbing the force of your opponent’s hard and fast serves.

The trick of this table tennis racket is the differing finish on either side: the yellow rubber is sticky for powerful spins, while the black side is more smooth and works best for hard serves.

Beginners can learn different modes of play that way, but the two different sides can also be confusing when learning how to handle a paddle. It can work very well though for penhold players.

Hard hits are easy thanks to the above-average weight.

This ping pong paddle is a good budget option if your looking for the best ping pong paddle for spin or a gift for players who are just starting out, yet want to learn spin, speed and aggressive serves and returns.

Rubber is ITTF approved but one color is off (brown/blue instead of red)

Size: 6" x 6 1/8"
Weight: 8 oz

Controlled precision play

Good returns and spin, great control

No protective cover

Speed: 60
Spin: 70
Control: 85

Good sponge properties

Lower speed value

5-ply wood blade

Good durability, rubbers can be changed

High performance rubber

Good value

Flared handle

The Killerspin Jet200 Table Tennis Paddle feels right at home in the hands of beginners and players who want to advance their control and precision play. You get great value at a very affordable price.

Where the Jet600 favors powerful performance, the strength of the Jet200 lies in control and precision, even for beginners. With a 5-ply all wood blade, the paddle is sturdy and the weight sits in the flared, comfortable handle.

This is where the high level of control comes from: the rackets is suited for different grip techniques and lets you place the ball with precision on the opponent’s side of the table.

The rubber is spongy with a decent amount of spin and the blade allows for good returns of fast serves, yet it is more difficult to achieve speed.

Note that while Killerspin uses ITTF grade rubber, one panel side is off-color in either brown or blue and therefore not for tournament play.

Yet this table tennis bat is perfect for players improving their spin and precision skills in table tennis. The Killerspin Jet200 is probably the best beginner ping pong paddle, especially at its low price point.

The MightySpin Storm ping pong paddle is a very well-balanced model for beginners who want to advance to intermediate level.

It’s great for learning technique when you just start playing and improving your control, serves and returns. The flared handle is comfortable and allows for a varied hand grip approach.

The blade construction features 7-ply poplar wood for good durability and rigidity. You’ll notice a nice consistency in your strikes.

The 1.7mm rubber favors speed and control over spin, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put a spin on your backhands and forehands to gain an advantage over your opponent.

The MightySpin Storm is a cheap ping pong paddle that will last and handle well in the hands of beginning and advancing players.

How to Choose the Best Ping Pong Paddle

If you want to improve your table tennis game, you need a racket to match your style and approach. Your aim, precision as well as serves and returns are greatly determined by what type of paddle you use.

In the following, we’ll give you an overview of the important features to help you decide on the right table tennis paddle for you.

Which Model is Best for You?

When you first start playing, all paddles might be the same to you. But a quick look at the market reveals that there are so many models and manufacturers, finding the right table tennis racket seems like a difficult task.

What you’re looking for is a paddle that handles well, allowing you to control the ball, aim with accuracy and apply speed and spin to the ball.

Important factors are the handle and the material of the blade, which consists of rubber on the outside and wood and other materials on the inside.

It’s also good practice to choose a paddle with official approval by the ITTF, the International Table Tennis Federation, to guarantee official guidelines and requirements are met if you are looking to compete in tournaments.

Playing Style

Beginners and intermediates will achieve best results with a versatile paddle that performs well with various playing styles.

While you are developing a style of your own, you can experiment with a more generic model and later progress to a paddle that fits a specific style well.

Material

A table tennis racket consists of a shaped handle and a flat, rigid blade coated with rubber on either side. According to ITTF rules, at least 85% of the blade must be made from natural wood.

Additional layers can use materials such as glass fiber or carbon fiber. These make for a more rigid yet lightweight paddle. Tournament regulations require red and black as colors for the two sides.

The rubber will influence speed, spin and control. The softer the material is, the more it will absorb the ball’s speed upon impact, allowing you to return aggressive serves.

Often a sponge is used to achieve this effect by making the rubber compress even further. On the other hand, a harder surface allows you to give the ball more speed. A sticky, matte surface enables you to introduce spin.

Performance

The performance of a table tennis racket is usually rated with three values for speed (sometimes called power), spin, and control.

Speed

A high value here means a harder blade and a low cushion or sponge effect of the rubber.

A speed paddle absorbs less energy during the impact of the ball on the blade, which is achieved with light-weight models, glass fiber or carbon fiber and denser rubber.

A high speed value is good for fast serves and an aggressive style. The drawback is less control. For beginners, a value above 90 can be overkill as they then tend to overshoot the table.

Spin

A lighter blade and a certain kind of rubber result in a high spin value. With spin, you put rotation on the ball to make it difficult for your opponent to return it by introducing a less predictable trajectory.

A sticky, gummy surface, less dense rubber with a cushion of inward-facing pips increase the spin of a paddle.

Control

The control value reflects how true the racket strikes the ball, and how long it is held. Longer contact makes it easier for you to aim and position the ball.

The thickness and surface of the rubber influence control, as well as the paddle weight and the balance between angle and blade.

Outward-facing pips on the rubber provide the most grip of the ball, but the drawback is reduced spin. In most paddles for high performance, control and spin go together with higher values for both and a lower speed rating.

Weight

A higher weight can be more comfortable or rewarding for beginners, as it results in a different strike of the ball, yielding more powerful shots. As you progress, you’ll notice the increased control and precision light-weight paddles offer.

Handle

Table tennis players generally favor one of two grip techniques: shakehand (fisted) or penhold (sometimes called Asian). The racket handle determines your grip and how you control the paddle.

There are basically three different handle styles. A straight one is usually rounded off for comfort, but otherwise doesn’t offer any features to influence your grip.

It can be used any way, but offers less control as a downside. A flared handle fans out at the bottom like a dovetail and can be very comfortable for beginners.

An anatomic variation is concave on either side to fit in your palm and allow for a variety of grip techniques. What handle type is best for you comes down to comfort and personal choice and the grip style you favor.

Conclusion

As a beginner, you don’t yet need to concern yourself with ITTF approval and can focus on a ping pong paddle that allows you to learn about spin, serving and returning.

As soon as you have acquired basic skills, however, you’ll notice that different table tennis rackets can greatly influence your game and how accurately you control the ball.

Pay attention to your particular style of playing and what specifics you favor, then get a more custom paddle. If you’re advanced enough to start playing competitions, you need a tournament regulation racket.

I hope this guide was helpful in picking the best ping pong paddle to fit your needs. If you want to comment or recommend a racquet I didn’t include, please use my contact form to get in touch.

Whether you’re playing outdoors in the park, in your backyard or on a foldable table in your rec-room, use our guide to find the right racket for you and enjoy your ping pong matches!

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About Richard

I work part time as an IT security consultant. Luckily I can work from anywhere so I go back and forth between Colorado and Florida.
I get my fix of skiing, hiking and camping in Colorado in the Dillion area, and when I am in Florida you can usually find me on the water either paddleboarding or kayaking.
My recent passion is scuba diving, I got certified a few years ago and "get wet" as frequently as I can.